Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA) has faulted former military president Ibrahim Babangida on his position on restructuring.
In a statement in Enugu signed by its Secretary Elliot Ugochukwu Uko, the group said Babangida’s endorsement of the deafening cries for an early restructuring of our polity seems commendable, but a closer look at his version of restructuring reveals that it is not yet uhuru.
It said Babangida belonged to the club of elite who bluntly refused to accept that the style, manner and format of the creation of the existing 36 states were a huge source of grief to millions of Nigerians and therefore, the real bone of contention.
According to ECA, any restructuring that seeks to sustain the 36 states as federating units, would not serve any useful purpose whatsoever as it would not assuage the agitators; neither would it bring peace to the troubled land.
The statement reads: “It seems needless arrogance has beclouded the sense of judgment of the designers of the current unworkable structure. They seem too proud to accept the self-evident truth which is: that the unitary structure they created can no longer carry the building.
Any change of the format they designed while in power as military rulers seem to hurt their pride. They simply desire, that the states and local government councils they created through military fiat remain that way till thy kingdom come, whether the country is failing or not. Even as 70% of the states cannot pay staff salaries.
“General Babangida’s support for restructuring, therefore, is both jaundiced and belated. Jaundiced, because he is struggling to avoid the reality, which is that only a return to regional autonomy can calm the storm now. No section of Nigeria will lose out, when we revert to six regions.”
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